(Hungarian: székely)
A people closely related to the Hungarians. The Szekels live in Transylvania (which was ceded to Rumania after World War I).
Since the 9th century, the Szekels have had a common language and culture with the Hungarians. From the 12th century until the 20th century, they enjoyed local self-government, in the form of the so-called széks autonomous administrative areas, which made up the Szekel homeland, Székelyföld.